


Approach

by imorca



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, greemes, life after death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 20:39:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14626596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imorca/pseuds/imorca
Summary: He returns to her or she to him. It kind of works both ways.





	Approach

**Author's Note:**

> You can only guess at what happens after. Since they never got to say goodbye, why not try hello again?

When the figure came into view it was still far enough away that she couldn't make it out. Who would it be? She had seen so many of her friends come through. It was always bittersweet. She loved them and was so glad that they were joining her. But, it also meant that they would never leave again, and that they had to suffer to get there.

As the person got closer, she became suspicious. Was that...a hat? Why would anyone still be wearing one here? There was never burning sun, nor snow, nor pouring rain. She looked again. The brim extended well beyond the person's head. It reminded her of one she had once worn as a joke, out in a garden while she had a toddler on her hip. There had been laughter and comfort and care.

It was a man, that was certain now. Under the hat his hair was long, and he was definitely taller than she. Though his face was still in shadow, she could see his skin was light and his hair was dark. The pitch of his gait had a kind of off-center lope that was so familiar to the men and boys of the south. It was a Georgia swagger.

He was close enough now that she waved her hand in greeting. She had extended her hand up and above her head trying to show energy an enthusiasm to welcome him. His return wave was tentative, slow and a little awkward and perhaps shy.

The hat was clear now. It was just like...

Then, she could see him. The sadness struck first in this case. He had fought so hard and so long. It seemed a special unfairness that this boy - no wait, he certainly wasn't a child now - that this man would lose against the world that formed him. If anyone should have had the strength, it was him. But the joy followed soon after. He was her first post-fall friend, and seeing him again fulfilled a wish she didn't know she'd made.

She realized that her feet were moving her toward him without her conscious intent. She could see his face now. He wore a look of uncertainty. He was definitely older, probabaly the same age as she was by now. He'd gotten taller, too, and he'd lost any childish softeness he might have had. 

They were standing nearly toe-to-toe by then and neither had yet said anything. Her cheeks were tight around her smile. She must look an idiot what with grinning so hard. He was smiling too, and shaking his head in wonder.

"Carl," she breathed. "I am so glad to see you!" She paused, recognizing that this was not all good news. "And...sad, too, I guess." With that she reached for his hand with both of hers. She realized how large it was, calloused and toughened by hardships she hadn't been there for. When she looked up to meet his gaze again, his eyes were glassy, but his smile was genuine. 

"Beth. You, uh, you got shorter." His quirky smile hadn't changed since he'd played around with that prison guard helmet in that other life.

"Ha! No. You just got older, and you hair got longer! I really am glad for that - the older part, I mean. But...also...not. You know." She felt her smile fade. Shaking her head slightly she continued, "But anyway, it's kind of beside the point, now. Age kind of stops here."

Carl looked around. The fields were open, stretching and rolling as far as they could see. "Does it?"

She made a sound of confirmation in her throat. "I am a little curious why you kept the hat, though."

"I dunno," he said, reaching up to remove it from his head. "I guess it's kind of part of me?" He considered it thoughtfully, turning it to view the different angles.

"Do you still want it to be?"

He met her eyes and held them. He considered for a moment. "For now, I think so."

She nodded. "Okay. So, would you like to walk with me for awhile?"

A shadow crossed his face. "I, uh, I wish I had been able to...before." He dropped his eyes, and his cheeks pinkened. "You probably know you were my first...crush."

She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up. "Yes, I sort of did. But, I'm sure there were sweethearts that came after me." She squeezed his hand. "That's the nice thing here. Future, past, present? Things don't work like that." He had looked up to meet her eyes again. "We can be...whatever. We can remember or not. Try new things or return to old." 

"Yeah?"

Smiling again, she reached one hand from where it had been holding his to grab the hat and raise it to her head.

"Yeah," she said, settling the hat in place. "C'mon, there's more. Let's go."

He nodded. And they took the his first step forward together.


End file.
